The invention relates to sliders for opening or closing reclosable fasteners, particularly rigid, elongate reclosable fasteners lying in a plane defining mutually orthogonal X and Y directions.
Flexible storage bags for use in the containment and protection of various items, as well as the preservation of perishable materials such as food items, are well known in the art. Such bags typically comprise an elongate reclosable fastener such as an interlocking rib-type seal integrally formed with the bag, to seal contents disposed in the bag. Sliding closure mechanisms, which utilize a sliding plastic sleeve to bias interlocking ribs into and out of engagement, have become popular due to their comparative ease of operation and visual and tactile confirmation that the seal formed by the reclosable fastener has been successfully completed.
Rigid and semi-rigid containers are also well known in the art. Such containers have realized a fair degree of commercial success in providing a means for storing a wide variety of contents. These containers typically incorporate lids which are usually sealed to the container by a reclosable fastener comprising interlocking protruded and recessed elements such as bulbs and grooves. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,055 issued Jan. 8, 1974 to Anderson, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,756 issued Jul. 6, 1976 to Barish, both of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose containers utilizing plug seals.
While such mechanical closures can be effective in preserving container contents, some consumers experience difficulty in fully completing the closure operation and confirming for themselves that a satisfactory closure has been achieved. This is particularly so when the physical change in position of the lid between interlocked and non-interlocked positions is comparatively small.
Traditional sliders used with reclosable fasteners on flexible storage bags assures the user that the fastener is opened or closed during use, however, such sliders typically embody sidewalls limiting their operation to unidirectional fasteners. An example of a traditional type slider is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,875 issued May 9, 1972 to Gutman, and incorporated herein by reference. Since rigid and semi-rigid containers typically incorporate lids sealed by fasteners extending in directions having vector components extending in mutually orthogonal directions, the traditional sliders are unsuitable for opening or closing such fasteners.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a slider for opening or closing a reclosable fastener for sealing a lid to a storage container wherein the reclosable fastener lies in a two dimensional plane defining mutually orthogonal directions. Particularly, it is desirable to provide a slider that is slidably attachable to the reclosable fastener and capable of effectively opening or closing the fastener while pivoting around corners joining mutually orthogonal sections or curvilinear segments of the fastener. More particularly, it is desirable to provide a slider having the aforementioned attributes that can effectively open and close the reclosable fastener requiring minimal maneuvering by the consumer other than moving the slider along the fastener.
A slider opens or closes an elongate, rigid reclosable fastener sealing a lid to the flange of a container where the fastener lies in a plane defining mutually orthogonal X and Y directions. The slider is slidably movable and attachable to a track disposed along the fastener defining a travel path having vector components in each of the X and Y directions. The slider biases interlocking elements of the reclosable fastener operatively associated therewith into engagement with one another as the slider is moved in a first direction along the travel path and separates interlocking elements as the slider is moved in a second direction along the travel path, opposite the first direction. The slider comprises a base having a first surface with first and second elongate members extending therefrom in a spaced apart, side-by side arrangement. The first and second elongate members, each have proximal ends depending from the first surface of the base, distal ends extended away from the base and opposing internal surfaces. The first elongate member includes a pivot depending from the internal surface at the distal end projecting towards the second elongate member. The second elongate member includes a tracking member depending from the internal surface at the distal end projecting towards the first elongate member. The first and second elongate members straddle the edge of the lid and flange joined by the reclosable fastener as the pivot and tracking member interface with the track.